Steamboat Springs Wedding & Elopement Guide

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Top 3 Reasons to get married in Steamboat Springs, Colorado:

  1. Champagne Powder! 

    With amazing glades full of that famous Champagne Powder there’s no other place to have an amazing snow day on the slopes or a snowshoe hike to a waterfall!

  2. Secluded!

    It’s slightly off the beaten path, being three hours from Denver International Airport most of the travelers stay on i70. There is a local airport, the Yampa Valley Regional Airport for travelers that want to avoid renting a car. It’s just enough accessible and off the beaten path to be the perfect spot to say your vows.

  3. Hot springs!

    The whole reason this town is called Steamboat Springs! This is a huge attraction and the number one reason I love to visit this mountain town. Nothing can beat soaking in a natural hot spring while stargazing.

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About Steamboat Springs


Steamboat Springs Location & History:

Nestled in the Park Range, Steamboat is surrounded by mountains, they might not be the tallest in Colorado but they are the snowiest ones! Steamboat is located in the northwest part of the state. Just a 3-hour drive from Denver International Airport, 1.5 hours from Wyoming, and 2 hours from Vail and Rocky Mountain National Park.


This was a great hunting ground for the Yampatika band of the Ute Tribe who originally inhabited the land. The Crawfords were trappers who founded the town and encouraged ranchers and miners to fall in love with the area. Skiing was originally the main winter method of transportation and is now a huge reason most people live and visit this mountain town. Steamboat Springs is most well known for champagne powder ski resort town that has produced more winter Olympians than any other North American town. We’re talking 98 Olympians, you might even run into one of them!

Steamboat Springs’s Best Wedding Month For:

Want to know when you're more likely to have the wedding of your dreams in the season that you're craving?!?! Well, the weather can be pretty unpredictable in Colorado! I'm here to give you the best possible chance for having a Granby skiing wedding or Granby summer wildflower wedding or a Granby fall wedding. These months are based on years of what I've witnessed but as you know, every year is different based on the amount of snowfall we get.

  • Steamboat’s Powder Day Skiing Wedding or Elopement - February

  • Steamboat’s Summer Wildflower Wedding or Elopement - August

  • Steamboat’s Fall Leave Hiking Wedding or Elopement - September

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Steamboat Spring's Wedding Venues and Elopement Ceremony Locations


Steamboat Springs Wedding and Elopement Venues:

  • Flying Diamond Events - Get married in a magical aspen grove! It’s gorgeous at this real ranch with horses and cattle about. Tented receptions give you the ultimate customization and there’s also a teepee on the property!

  • Bella Vista - For the best views around, this is the perfect event space to really enjoy a full weekend with your family and friends in an intimate setting. There’s lodging, event space, a pool, and views for miles on this venue that’s above it all! 

  • Vista Verde - This ranch will pull out all the stops for your intimate elopement at the ranch. With plenty of spots on the property to say your vows on horseback, a mountain bike, or paddleboard! 

  • La Joy Dulce - The mountain views from the ceremony sites are gorgeous! For a real ranch vibe, the barn is ready for your cowboy boots! 

  • Lucky 8 Ranch - Beautiful ceremony site overlooking the meadow with a tented reception site. Perfect for large wedding day and it’s only thirty minutes from downtown.

  • Steamboat Ski Resort - Get married on the Vista Overlook looking over the Yampa Valley and give your guests the experience of lift to attend the ceremony. There are seven options for an awesome reception site at steamboat.

Steamboat Springs Ceremony Locations:

  • Mountain Lake - There’s plenty of beautiful mountain lakes in the area to find the perfect spot to say your vows with mountain views. I’d be happy to introduce you to a few of my favorite spots.

  • Fish Creek Falls - This spot is great year-round! In the wintertime, you can snowshoe to it and in the summer it’s a beautiful short hike to the falls! 

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Steamboat Springs Eats & Stays


Steamboat Springs Rehearsal Dinner or Steamboat Reception Sites:

Eating the local cuisine is a huge part of what makes traveling fun! There’s lot’s of great places to eat in Steamboat. Here’s a list of great local restaurants to dive into while your visiting. Some of the restaurants would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner or a reception. There’s even one with a little entertainment adventure!

  • Aurum - Fine dining in a yurt! A real adventurous way to feed your small intimate group of guests for a fun experience in the mountains!

  • Mountain Tap - I love good beer and pizza nights! This yummy beer and wood-fired pizza is made from the best ingredients this mountain has to offer.

  • Sauvage - Fine french dining with eight-course meals that are not only delicious but beautiful!

  • Storm Peak Brewing - Yep, more delish beer coming your way! Stop by for a few pints to celebrate!

  • Yampa Valley Kitchen - Farm-to-table dining that’s wildly colorful and right from the backyard.

  • Haymaker - Ride in a horse-drawn sleigh to your fancy dinner and chocolate fondue dessert. 

  • Bar Lazy L Ranch - Enjoy a sleigh ride dinner with a sing-along country music night on this Steamboat winter adventure.


Steamboat Springs Places to Stay:

For such a variety of places to choose from to rest your head after an adventurous day in Steamboat Springs.  whether you want to be with your friends and family all day get a huge house or condo or if you're looking for something on the more intimate side there's plenty of hotels lodges and intimate Airbnb for you to choose from. Below you'll find a few of my favorite hotels, lodges, and Airbnb. 

  • Strawberry Train Caboose - Stay in a train caboose within walking distance to the hot springs! It’s a little like camping but you get to stay in a train!

  • Steamboat Grand - This hotel has all the amenities you can think of!  It’s a very large hotel with accommodations of a room all the way to a five-bedroom penthouse. 

  • Mariposa Lodge - This adorable bed and breakfast for your intimate wedding and great common areas for you to hang out in when you're not out exploring Steamboat.  

  • Eco Lux Cabin - A great intimate spot for your family and friends to gather. Having a great hot tub is the icing on the cake.

  • Modern Condo - This cozy condo is located in the heart of Steamboat and the perfect landing spot for everything the entire weekend!

  • Hilton - Y’all know I’ve got to put in one of the big hotel chains, just for all you point gathers out there! 

  • Overlook Chalet - Room for the whole crew on this one! I’m particularly excited about all the decks that are there for taking in the views from this mountain cabin.

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Steamboat Springs Activities & Festivals


Steamboat Springs Activities:

The very best thing about being in a cute little mountain town is that you have full access to everything outdoors. The main problem is going to be wanting more days in the mountains to do all the fun activities. 

  • Hiking

    • With waterfalls, high alpine lakes, and mountain tops to choose from as your end location, you can find a new fabulous hike every day!

  • Mountain Biking

    • There’s plenty of singletracks to explore through aspen groves around Steamboat.

  • Skiing & Boarding

    • So many tracks to make! You can take the gondola right from town and ski all day! 

  • Fly Fishing

    • The Yampa River runs right through town and offers so many great places to fly fish.

  • Snowshoeing

    • If you want to enjoy the snow, it's a great activity to take in the views.

  • Rock Climbing

    • There’s lots of climbing areas to explore with sport and trad climbing. 

  • Ice Climbing

    • There’s two great waterfalls closeby to climb up.

  • Ice Skating

    • With indoor and outdoor rinks to choose from to ice skate or play in bumper cars, it’s a great excuse to get a cup of hot chocolate after!

  • Off-Roading

    • Travel on dirt roads exploring the mountain scenery and little less traveled places.

  • Dog Sledding

    • Love puppies and wintertime? Then you should go dog sledding!

  • Hot springs

    • Well, it’s called steamboat springs for a reason! There’s a variety of hot springs to choose from with clothing and seclusion options for the adventurous ones. 

Steamboat Springs Festivals:

While festivals are a fantastic town celebration, sometimes they can make wedding and elopement planning a bit difficult because of lodging, parking, and day of transportation. It's always best to know what festivals or celebrations are happening in the town that you choose to have your wedding so you can plan accordingly. Part of the planning accordingly may be that your guests partake in the festivals! I mean how cool would it be to have your wedding day and then go to a beer fest with all your guests the next day!

  • Steamboat Marathon - June - What a perfect town to test your limits with tons of hot springs to relax your muscles afterward.

  • Hot Air Balloon Rodeo - August - See the sky covered in colorful hot air balloons and enjoy all things balloon-related.

  • Winter Carnival - February - From street parades and skiing to fireworks, this is a great weekend to visit in the wintertime for some major festival fun.

 

Check these out:

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Hello! I’m your photo -grapher & Guide, Ashleigh!

Ashleigh Miller Elopement and Wedding Photography can’t wait to hear your story!


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